Alternator plate drive for carton blank mechanism



Dec. 8, 1964 P. ZERNOV ETAL 3,160,412

' ALTERNATOR PLATE DRIVE FOR CARTON BLANK MECHANISM Filed March 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ' PETE/e ZEzNQ YE/MPH H. News B A r ve/v5 Dec. 8, 964 P. ZERNOV ETAL 3,160,412

ALTERNATOR PLATE DRIVE FOR CARTON BLANK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 20, 1963 w W W M m\ N w M NWXN United States Patent This invention relates generally to in-line carton blank forming apparatus having various units mounted in line Y for successively performing various operations on the web and on the blanks as they are formed and passed through the complete line.

This in-line equipment usually has a stationary stripper unit located closely adjacent the cutting and creasing press and which stripper unit pulls the blanks from the press and conveys them to a delivery unit. The delivery unit is large and very heavy, as are all the units, and is mounted on tracks forbeing moved longitudinally from an operative position closely adjacent the stripper unit to a position away from said stripper unit so as to provide for different lengths of cartons and to facilitate adjustment, cleaning, repair, or the like of the various parts of the units.

The delivery unit is usually the last unit in the line and includes an alternator plate for directing alternate blanks as they come off the stripper unit into one pile or another, in shingle fashion, to facilitate the stacking of the blanks into bundles. The drive connection including a drive shaft for this alternator plate comes from the preceding stripper unit and because of the above-mentioned necessity for periodically shifting the units apart, the drive connection between the units must have some provision for doing so.

The above drive connection must be accurate for proper timing of the high speed parts and must include :precision and antifriction bearing assemblies for the drive shaft.

In the past, the close tolerances necessary between each end of the connecting drive shaft andits associated-mounting hearings on the separable units resulted in considerable binding in the bearings due primarily to the difficulty in maintaining alignment between the drive parts. This problem is aggravated by the fact that debris is present in this area due to the waste material from the stripper unit, and this debris cluttered the tracks on which the delivery unit is slidably mounted, which further tends to cause misalignment of the units. For example, even a small piece of paper board under the'wheels of the delivery urilit'can causesuflicientmisalignment and binding so as to make it very diflicult'for the operator to'push that unit along its Ways.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved drive between the stripper unit and a longitudinally shiftabledelivery unitwhereby exact alignment between the parts is not absolutely essential, and the space between the units can be readily adjusted without binding and with little effort on thepart of the operator.

These and other objects and advantages of the present I invention will appear hereinafter as this disclosure proice FIGURE 4'is a view taken generally along line 44 in FIGURE 2, certain parts being shown in section, and

FIGURE 5 is a View taken along line 5-5 in FIG- URE 2.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the stripper unit SU has two vertical heavy plate steel sides 1 and 2 which are spaced apart in a transverse direction and form the stripper unit main frame. This unit is stationarily mounted on the'iloor F and includes conveying belts 6 for moving the unsep-arated blanks (not shown) from the creasing press P 'tothe rubber roll 8 and its associated drum 9 containing impaling pins (not shown) that penetrate the waste portion and separate it from the blanks. The finished but unseparated blanks then pass through the pairof rolls l0 and 11 located at the discharge end of the stripper unit. The above-mentioned drum and rolls are rotatably mounted in the frame sides in conventional manner. a

The unseparated blanks then pass into the delivery unit DU where they are separated from one another by askew rollers 'lZwhich cooperate with a lower power driven roll 13. These rollers are shownand described in the co-pending application Serial No. 256,021 filed February 4, 1963, and to which reference may be had if de sired, but further reference is not deemed to be necessary 'forthis disclosure.

The delivery unit DU has a heavy main frame comprised of two spaced apart vertical sides '14 and 14a fabricated from heavy plates of steel unit DU. The delivery unit DU has wheels W by which it is mountedon tracks T at the discharge end of the stripper unit, and unitDU'is movable on these tracks 'from'a positionblosely adjacent the stripper unit to any one of a number of positions spaced therefrom. This adjustment is usually made manually by an operator simply pushing unit DU;

T his longitudinal adjustment of the delivery unit isnecessary to accommodate various lengths of blanks which may be formed on'the apparatus, and is also for the purpose of per rriittint ready access 'to the adjacent ends of both units for service or the like, as previously mentioned.

The delivery unit also includes a series of endless belts 15, the upper flightsof which move rearwardly (indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1) to deliver the carton blanks deposited thereon to the rear of the apparatus for subsequent stacking and pick-up by operators (not shown) standing at the rear of the machine,

The delivery unit has a divert'er or alternator plate 20 which is fixed'to and mounted'byits'sh'aft 21 in'the antifricti'on bearing assemblies -23(onlyone shown) that-are mounted in the frame of the machine. plate 'is fabricated from sheet metal and is V-shap'ed in cross section, having its narrow leading edge 26 swingable to an up or down position to divert the oncoming blanks in an upward or downward direction for subsequent deposit on the belts 15, in a spaced relationship.

For the purpose of oscillating the plate 20, the shaft 21'is oscillated through a crank 27 t hatis fixed to and extends forwardly from the shaft. The forward end of this crank is bifurcated and is pivota1ly connected by a spherical ball and socket type bearing 28:: to the lower end 281 of an eye-bolt link 28, the upper end 28c of which is pivoted by its eye portion to an arm 29. Arm 29 in turn is fixed to a longitudinally extending drive shaft 39 for oscillation therewith.

The length of the link 28 can be changed by turning its lower end relative to its upper end 28c with which it is threadably engaged.

As the shaft 3%) is oscillated by cam means to be described, the alternator plate is corresponding oscillated by this pivoted link connection to effect its blank diverting function. The shaft 30 is of suificient length to form This alternator 3 a driving connection between the units, regardless of their spaced apart position in a longitudinal direction.

The drive shaft 30 is supported at its ends on the separable stripper and delivery units by antifriction bearings of the spherical type which permit slight misalignment between the units, as follows.

The rear end of the shaft 30 is mounted in a spherical bearing assembly 32 located in the laterally extending frame of the delivery unit, and the front end of the shaft is supported in the stripper unit frame member 34 by means of the self-aligning bearing in the form of a spherical bearing assembly 36 fixed thereon.

More specifically, the shaft is slidable in a sleeve 38 which is securely mounted in the inner race 39 of the bearing assembly 36. The outer race 40 of the bearing assembly has a spherical surface 41 which permits the double row of ball elements 42 to adjust themselves to the spherical surface 41 in accordance with the amount of limited swinging movement of the shaft relative to the stripper unit.

Similarly, the bearing assembly 32 has an inner race 44 rigidly fixed with the shaft, an outer race 45 havingan arcuate surface 46, and a single row of ball elements 47 7 between the races.

Akeyway 5% is formed lengthwise in shaft 30 and in which the key 51 is slidably and drivingly engaged. This key is fixed in a keyway 52 of the sleeve member 38, and shaft 3% can slide longitudinally in the sleeve 38. The sleeve 33 and consequently the shaft 3-0 are oscillated about their longitudinal axes by vertical movement of a cam follower 54 rotatably mounted on a shaft 55 which in turn is formed integrally with and extends from one side of the sleeve 38.

A downwardly extending yoke 57 is connected by a swivel ball and socket type connection 58 to the outer end of shaft 55 and resiliently holds the'follower 54 against the peripheral surface of cam plate 56.

The cam follower 54- is ride on the periphery of a plate cam 56, and in this manner the roller rises and falls in proper timed relationship with the other parts of the apparatus to thereby ultimately cause oscillation of the diverter plate. The plate cam 56 is rotatably mounted on the stripper unit and can be driven in any conventional manner.

By means of the splined drive shaft which is mounted on the stripper and delivery'units by the accurate and high-speed, self-aligning, spherical bearing assemblies, there is no need for the stripper and delivery units to be exactly aligned, and they may be easily and quickly separable by a single operator. The drive connections at the ends of the shaft, namely, the cam drive means and the pivoted link means have sufiicient play in them so as to accommodateslight lateral movement between the units without binding in these connections.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being Within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out andv distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as-the invention.

We claim:

1. In-line carton blank forming apparatus comprising a blank stripper unit and a blank delivery unit longitudinally shiftable relative thereto, said delivery unit having an oscillatable alternator plate assembly mounted therein for deflecting blanks delivered thereto by said stripper unit, a longitudinally extending drive shaft extending between said units and having a connection with said plate plate for oscillating the latter, means carried by said stripper unit for oscillating said shaft and consequently said plate, a self-aligning bearing assembly means for mounting said shaft to said delivery and stripper units, and a sliding drive connection between said shaft and one of said assembly means.

2. In-line carton blank forming apparatus comprising a blank stripper unit and a blank delivery unit longitudinally shiftable relative thereto, said delivery unit having an o-scillatable alternator plate assembly mounted therein for deflecting blanks delivered thereto by said stripper unit, a longitudinally extending drive shaft extending between said units, a self-aligning bearing assembly secured to said stripper unit, a sleeve mounted in said assembly for rotational support therein, one end of said shaft extending through said sleeve and having a sliding drive connection therewith, means carried by said stripper unit and having a driving connection with said sleeve for. oscillating said shaft and consequently said plate, a second self-aligning bearing assembly supported on said delivery unit and for oscillatingly, supporting the other end of said shaft, and a pivoted link connection between said plate assembly and said other end of said shaft.

3. In-line carton blank forming apparatus comprising a stripper unit and a delivery unit longitudinally shiftable relative thereto, an oscillatable alternator plate assembly mounted in said delivery unit for deflecting blanks delivered thereto by said stripper unit, a longitudinally extending drive shaft extending between said units, a selfaligning bearing assembly secured to said stripper unit, a sleeve mounted in said assembly for rotational support therein, one end of said shaft extending through said sleeve and having a sliding drive connection therewith, a cam mounted on said stripper unit, a cam follower on said sleeve and actuated by said cam for oscillating said shaft and consequently said plate, a second self-aligning bearing assembly supported on said delivery unit and in which the other end ofv said shaft is journalled, and a pivoted link connection between said plate assembly and said shaft. 7

4. In-line carton blank forming apparatus comprising a blank stripper unit and a blank delivery unit longitudinally shiftable relative thereto, said delivery unit having an oscillatable alternator plate assembly mounted therein for deflecting blanks delivered thereto by said stripper unit, a longitudinally extending drive shaft extending between said units and having a pivoted link connection with said plate for oscillating the latter, cam and follower means between said stripper unit and said shaft for oscillating saidshaft and consequently said plate, selfaligning bearing assembly means for mounting said shaft I References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thacher Oct. 29, 1929 Turrall et a1. Aug. 7, 1951 

1. IN-LINE CARTON BLANK FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BLANK STRIPPER UNIT AND A BLANK DELIVERY UNIT LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE RELATIVE THERETO, SAID DELIVERY UNIT HAVING AN OSCILLATABLE ALTERNATOR PLATE ASSEMBLY MOUNTED THEREIN FOR DEFLECTING BLANKS DELIVERED THERETO BY SAID STRIPPER UNIT, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UNITS AND HAVING A CONNECTION WITH SAID PLATE FOR OSCILLATING THE LATTER, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID STRIPPER UNIT FOR OSCILLATING SAID SHAFT AND CONSEQUENTLY SAID PLATE, A SELF-ALIGNING BEARING ASSEMBLY MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SHAFT TO SAID DELIVERY AND STRIPPER UNITS, AND A SLIDING DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND ONE OF SAID ASSEMBLY MEANS. 